For the first term in Year 7 students will be given an Introduction to Drama; the rules, expectations and a building of trust. Students will learn confidence, teamwork, the importance of trust and the Performing Arts 5 C’s {Communication, Cooperation, Concentration, Control & Confidence}. Delivery will be through whole class and small group activities, with an end of unit performance and theory assessment.

Pantomime

This unit will introduce students to basic performance skills such as characterisation, performance discipline, cooperation and body language/facial expressions. The unit will also focus on the genre of Pantomime, it’s traditions, key features and stock characters. The scheme will use Cinderella as the main example text.

Year 7’s next unit of work will be on mime, so where possible, physicality should be made a focus in performance.

Musical Theatre

This unit will introduce students to basic Musical Theatre skills such as singing, movement and acting, Students will learn performance and rehearsal etiquette and how to work together as a team. The unit will also focus on the genre of Musical Theatre, including key features and musical conventions..

Year 8

Melodrama

In this unit, students will work both independently and in groups to develop and create their own scene in the style of Melodrama. They will learn about stock characters, Melodrama history as well as performance conventions of the genre. Skills covered are use of voice, creating dialogue and specific actions appropriate to character. Students will explore the genre of Melodrama using several melodrama scripts of increasing size and complexity.

Big Al’s Pizzeria

Students have been introduced to and are now quite familiar with a range of Drama warm-up games, starters, and basic key skills in character development and performance. They have limited experience of mime – this will be very new for many of the students. They have, however, had experience with the use of body language and facial expression which are both very important aspects of mime. Using the play script ‘Showdown at Big Al’s Pizzeria’ students will explore the genre of Mime while developing the physical skills and technique required to perform it.

Musical Theatre 2

Students will expand and extend on their learning from Year 7. They will look at various Musical Theatre skills, developing and gaining confidence. The musicals explored will be more complex, students will also look at the context and characterisation within the piece.

Year 9

Physical Theatre

In this unit students will learn to use their bodies to represent not only different human characters but also start to explore how to represent various inanimate objects. It will provide an introduction to Physical Theatre and the origins/meanings behind it. Students may also explore basic lifts, where appropriate, which are a key aspect of physical theatre.

Horror

Students will study a mixture of dance and drama for this unit. In dance, they will explore the theme of Horror. Using ‘Thriller’ as stimulus, they will work as a whole class and in small groups to explore a variety of skills and choreographic devices. These include: timing, formations, unison, canon, Q&A, mirroring, levels, chance dance, and the six main dance actions. Students will also explore the genre of Urban Myths, including the conventions and rules. Students will then create and devise their on Urban Myth, writing a script and devising their own for performance.

Stage Make Up

Students will explore different types of stage make up, looking at the production side of the Performing Arts Industry.